The Passing of Steve Ditko

Guest writer, Corey Blake of New Warriors Continuity Conundrum.

Just hearing news that Steve Ditko has died. He is one of the legendary creators of the Marvel Universe as the co-plotter, character designer and original artist for Spider-Man and Dr. Strange. He was the artist that established Iron Man’s red and gold armor, which has defined his iconic look ever since.

Later, after leaving Marvel, he also created The Question, a character that would later serve as the model for Rorschach in the seminal comic Watchmen. He created a new Blue Beetle, who was also the basis for a Watchmen character, Night Owl.

Later still, he created the cult hit character Squirrel Girl and one of my absolute favorites, Speedball, a bouncing bundle of energy.

Before all of that he cut his teeth on creepy, bizarre and weird horror and sci-fi stories that could’ve been episodes of the Twilight Zone.

He continued producing comics on his own terms right until the end, distributing them through 20 successful Kickstarter campaigns managed by his longtime collaborator Robin Snyder. His last one just concluded on July 4th.

His faces were always distinct. His characters often posed in weird and memorable angles. And he drew the best hands.